Bike Battery Amp/H

Gidday,

Went to go for a ride yesterday and had a flat battery however it started ok with a jump.It has been a couple of weeks since the bike was started and I am not sure how old the battery is. I just thought the cold weather may also have something to do with it.It has been ok for the past 5 months when I got the bike. Anyway today I decided to get a new one and have it here just in case, but when I checked the battery in the bike it is rated at 14 Amp/h and the owners manual states the battery should be 18 Amp/h. I start ringing around for prices and then realise why the last guy has put this battery in, $$$$$.
Does anyone know if apart from going flat quicker, would there be any damage done to the electrics/computer on the bike if I replace it with one of a lower output than recommended?
If not should I simply replace the battery with another 14 Amp/h, and expect to replace it earlier. I could get at least 2 batteries for the price of the bigger one.

Thanks for any advice.

howdy stranger

you can run the 14AH battery no worries, it is not going to damage the electrics etc. But it will not last as long as the 18AH battery - and depending on any accessories fitted (heated grips, lights etc) - if these are all fitted, it is a far safer bet to use the recommended 18AH battery.

Is this the battery in the GTR ?? the cold weather will always give a dodgy battery a hard time.

If the 14amp/h battery was turning it over OK I don't think you'll have a problem with it - for the cost difference you could purchase a trickle charger (PM red_dave if you want a good one) and keep it topped up when it's cold, not getting used or only doing short runs.

I do not know which bike you are talking about? Most later model moto's do not charge at all at idle, (well at least at a lesser rate than the current being drawn) and do not give max charge until around 4,000 RPM. This means that if you have a lot of accessories or run at low speeds, (RPM), you are going to be running, (at least partially) off the battery. 14 amp hours means the battery will supply 14 amps of current for one hour, or 28 amps +/- for 1/2 hour etc. of course more amps drawn means it will go dead in less than an hour. Jim Beam will make all this clear, maybe.

Thanks for the input guys.
I will look around for something maybe 16 Amp/h and see what the cost is, otherwise settle for the 14.The 18 or 20 Amp\h was $299 !!!!!! and I know the 14 are under $100. "Monkey Porn" man has given a wbesite link, thanks Red Dave. Still don not know what Monkey Porn is, he will not tell me.
It is not for a GTR, it is one of the "dark side" bikes.

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For that price difference I would definitly go for the 14 a/h. You will probably be ok unless you have grip heaters and a lot of bullshit turned on when going slow. You can buy a lot of JB with the left over $199.00, plus the 14 a/h may last just as long as the higher priced pile of shit.

I did what now?